


The Monster

by WizardlyWaffles



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 16:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6291466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardlyWaffles/pseuds/WizardlyWaffles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The heart of a human. The heart of a horse. I will lift the curse when you obtain both”<br/>Feliciano Vargas, an average college student enters the 'disappearing woods' at night and is held captive by a monster. But...is this monster really so bad?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Chnk! Chnk! Chnk!_

The woodsman sent his axe deeper into the thick length of the tree, watching as the wood split between his axe. His steed snorted and kicked the leaves impatiently as he continued his work. Suddenly, there was an abrupt chill down his spine that stopped him in his tracks.

“Excuse me, young man”

The blonde woodsman spun around to a hooded figure, smiling at him; her face seemed to resemble a prune in the way in scrunched like a rotting fruit as she squinted at him. “My, my! What thick logs of wood you have there!” She exclaimed, walking behind his horse to the pile of logs below. “Ja, these logs have been chopped from the thickest trees for the cold months ahead. Would you be interested in buying a log or two?” The woodsman sunk his axe into the wood of tree he was working against and walked closer. Then the old woman’s expression went blank. “….” “…….?” “……!” “……..?” “So….it’s you who has been harming the woods….” Her voice came out cracked and hurt, as if her voice was recovering from a cold. “…I’ve been cutting down the trees on the outskirts of the woods for a decade, selling wood to the people who pass by in time for the winter months. The trees have not fallen in vain. Their wood has kept me and many others warm at night” He replied stiffly. The woman’s face curled in disgust and she sent a hard slap to his cheek, causing him to fall backwards into the slush of new snow. “What is your name, boy?!” She hissed, stepping back in defence. “Hey! Why did you-tsk…my name is Ludwig Beilschmidt. But that’s beside the point. Leave these woods or I will be forced to call the authorities on you” Ludwig growled, standing up and rubbing his red cheek.

“Authority? The only authority here is me. I am the witch of these woods. The guardian of the trees. And you, Ludwig, will pay for hurting these innocent trees” She hissed.

Ludwig scoffed and took his axe, walking to his carriage and steed. “Oh ja? Crazy Fraulien, run along before the wolves find you. It’s getting dark, they’re bound to be searching for frail old women such as yourself”

Suddenly, an unknown force began to choke Ludwig and sent him against a tree, emitting a grunt at the pure force. “Chk! F-fraulien…!” Ludwig winced and looked over to his horse, which began to whinny in distress as a strange yellow light swallowed its body until it resembled a glowing ball of light.

“ _The heart of a human. The heart of a horse. I will lift the curse when you obtain both”_

Ludwig had no time to react as his body was suddenly thrown into the ball of light. And the pain took over. The pain was indescribable. It caused him to scream and thrash and cry as he felt his lower torso twist and bend and merge into a different form entirely. It was all too much. He passed out into the snow, his moans of pain slowing as he lost consciousness.

                                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yo! Feli, so you’re going to do it, right?”

The auburn haired boy shivered and looked at the big black gates tangled with vines. Beyond these gates was the legendary ‘disappearing woods’. What made them so legendary?

“So like, apparently, anybody who goes in there NEVER COMES OUT. Crazy right? Dude! Where’s your camera? You gotta have video evidence!”

Feliciano gave Alfred an anxious glance and pulled out the camera from his pocket. “It’s just down the trail and back. It won’t be too bad. Nothing can go wrong!”

“Except…it’s at night! Ooohhh, spooky~!”

“A-Alfred, why are you making me do this? Why can’t you come with me?” Feliciano cried in protest, clutching the camera to his chest. Alfred looked hesitant for a moment, shuffling on the balls of his feet. “Aw hell no, man. You’re the camera-guy, remember? And besides! The media project isn’t going to do itself, is it? I-I’ll stay in the study hall and work on all the spooky effects and you…you go get the footage! It’ll be sick, bro!” He replied with a booming laugh, although it came out a little shakier than intended. Feliciano swallowed and took a few paces forward and nudged the black gates open, jumping a little as the gates let out a demonic screech and bats flew from the treetops into the night sky.

“…..” “……” “So anyway, good luck, bro!” With that, Alfred sped off in the other direction. Feliciano swallowed and switched on the flashlight, frantically shining into the trees threaded into the darkness. Reluctantly, he took his first shaky steps and held his breath, walking through the gates.

In all honesty, these woods would be far less frightening during the day. It didn’t help that Alfred wanted to do a horror movie as their college media project. It didn’t help that these woods were quiet and eerie. It certainly didn’t help that there was a rumour that had been long passed in saying. Anybody who entered these woods disappeared forever. That’s what the story was. Although, to settle his nerves, Feliciano liked to think of something else. Maybe they were called the disappearing woods because the path would disappear? Or the wildlife?? Scratch that, Feliciano thought hastily, shivering as a cold breeze blew against his thin jacket. The air started to grow colder. Too cold for his liking. Feliciano turned around and began to sprint in the opposite direction, gasping in fear as the bats in the trees grew startled of the flashing of his torch as he ran.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

Feliciano shrieked and frantically shone the torch in every direction possible. “W-w-who’s there?! I-I have pepper spray a-and i-if you’re a murderer, I’m not afraid to use it!” Feliciano squealed, clutching his torch. “N-nein, I’m not a murderer, you just look startled, human. And it’s late at night. Nobody should be wandering these woods this late. There are wolves that will prey on your flesh if you are out during their hunting hours” The deep voice continued. Feliciano could have sworn he heard large, heavy footsteps walking up from the trail. He quickly shone the flashlight in the direction and screamed.

In the glow of the torchlight, stood a monster. The body of a blonde horse with a white, sleek tail, and the upper torso of a well-toned man with blonde, messy hair and piercing blue eyes, looking down. “Wait! Shh! Shh! Please don’t be scared!” Feliciano froze in his place and fell to the floor with a gasp. “Human! Human, wake up!”

Looking around quickly, the monster scooped up the young man and slung him over his shoulder, walking further into the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

There were two things that stirred Feliciano awake:

First, the sound of hooves clopping against wood.

Second, the inviting smell of a freshly baked apple cake wafting through the room.

He groaned and opened one eye, wincing at the pounding in his head. The sound of the hooves, perhaps startled by the groan, jumped a little and came closer. “Human! You’re awake! Don’t sit up just yet, give your body a chance to get your bearings…” a deep voice rumbled above him. Feliciano looked up and gasped at the tall figure in front of him, staring down from a great height. “ARGH! DON’T EAT ME!” He shrieked in response, cowering into the corner of the bed he laid in and groaning again as the pounding in his head grew worse. “Wha-eat you?! You complete dummkopf! Can’t you see what I am?! I am a centaur! I eat greenery only!” The man hissed. His tone only made Feliciano whimper and shield his face even more. The hoofed beast had decided, maybe it was a little easier to speak to the cowardly human if he were at eye-level. With some difficulty, he lowered himself against the foot of the bed so he was _almost_ at eye-level with the brunette.

“Human, I’m sorry for startling you. Tell me, what is your name?”

Feliciano stopped cowering for a moment and looked at the centaur with teary eyes. “I-it’s Feliciano. I’m sorry, uh, s-sir…I-I don’t know where I am or what you want with me. I-I just came into these woods because of a stupid media project. Please let me go!” He replied squeakily. The centaur looked straight through him.

“My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt, and you are now my captive. You will do exactly as I say and you won’t see the outside of these woods again, do you understand?”

Feliciano began to sob and curled up against his knees. “W-why?! I have a family! And friends a-and I can’t just leave them, Ludwig sir!”

“The heart of a human….The heart of a horse….” Ludwig murmured to himself, “I have already acquired one. But now, I’m going to have both. Feliciano, you are going to be a sacrifice to lift this curse!” Feliciano couldn’t stay a second longer. He leapt off the bed and sprinted to the door, only to fall onto his face, as if some force was holding him back. Attached to his foot was a long chain that kept him stuck to the bed. “N-no! Please, sir! I’ll do anything, please don’t hurt me!” Feliciano screamed desperately. Ludwig scraped his hoof against the floor impatiently. This human was too pathetic. He was in hysterics, clinging to Ludwig’s legs and begging for his life. It was too pathetic. So, so pathetic.

“…Human, calm down now…” Feliciano didn’t listen, he was still shrieking and begging to be saved.

“I SAID CALM DOWN!” Feliciano abruptly stopped shrieking to look up at Ludwig’s towering height. Ludwig sighed and lowered himself to his eye level. “Listen…this is the only way. Unless you could acquire a human heart for me?” Ludwig asked calmly. There was a long silence between the two. Of course he was asking far too much. “But you wouldn’t have the guts to do it. So this is the only way-“

“You wouldn’t have the guts to do it to me, either!” Feliciano spat shakily. He tried to shake and rattle the chains desperately to cut himself free, but found it to be useless to escape his captive. Ludwig watched calmly as he tried everything, eventually giving up and sobbing on the ground. “Feliciano…I won’t do anything to you, please calm down. You know, this place has been very untidy lately. And I’m in need of a companion. Winter will arrive in the forest very shortly. I find it’s a little less cold when there’s somebody there” He rumbled quietly.

Feliciano looked at the centaur as if he had lost his mind. Him? Stay with this monster? He knew exactly what was going to happen. He was going to kill him in his sleep! Feliciano gave a look of uncertainty and stayed perfectly still.

“What I’m asking, is for you to be my housemaid a-and my…friend”


	3. Chapter 3

The monster had given a strict schedule to follow by as he went out on his duties. Firstly, Feliciano was to start the morning by cleaning all the pots and pans for dinner the night previous. Secondly, He was to scrub and polish the floors. Then, using the cooking books provided, Feliciano was to make a delicious, vegetarian dinner for when Ludwig came home. If he had completed his tasks, he was allowed to slack off and sleep. The chain that connected him to the foot of the bed could not be sawn away, regardless of how many times Feliciano had sharped the knife in the kitchen.

While his time living with the monster was horrifying at first, Feliciano was starting to find it wasn’t all that bad. He got fed and was allowed to sleep in Ludwig’s old, springy bed. It beat sleeping in a college dorm at least.

Feliciano jolted in his place as the door opened and Ludwig had stepped inside. “Ah! C-caio, Ludwig, sir!” He shakily withdrew from the kitchen and curled up on the bed. To his surprise, Ludwig hauled a rabbit carcus onto the table and took down his bow.

“…Ludwig. You’re a vegetarian so…why?”

Ludwig swished his tail and stretched his back muscles. “Ja, I am, but…it’s been a whole week. And I felt you needed a reward for your cooperation”

A whole week? A whole week ago, Feliciano had slept in his own bedroom in his own room. Was anybody even searching for him? …Did anybody even care?

His thoughts were distracted when Ludwig shoved something into his view. A hastily made bouquet of field flowers ripped right from the grass was thrust right under his nose, the sweet scents of spring flowed through his nasal passage. “Ludwig, what is-“

“I uh…I also felt it were necessary to bring you a gift too”

Feliciano took the flowers happily, offering a large smile. “Grazie Luddy~! These look beautiful!” He cried. He sat up from the bed and flung his arms around Ludwig cheerily. It seems he was rather surprised by the action, because his whole body seemed to tense under Feliciano’s touch.

His skin was cold and littered with scars from the many life experiences he had alone in the woods.

“….F-Feliciano?”

Feliciano pulled away to see Ludwig’s face, wide-eyed and scarlet red. “What’s that look for? Haven’t you ever had a hug before?” Feliciano joked. The silence that followed was unsettling. Had Ludwig never been hugged before in his life?

“Uh…you have…been hugged before, right?”

Ludwig looked generally concerned. He shook his head slowly. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve had another human embrace me like you just did”

“Ve~ Well, did it feel good?”

The centaur’s cheeks flushed a little. “Uh….J-ja, it did”

“I can’t imagine a life without hugs! I love to cuddle up to people but if you don’t want to, that’s fine too” Feliciano rambled. Ludwig shuffled in his place and awkwardly bent down for another hug. Unsure as to what to do with his hands, he gently coiled them around Feliciano’s waist and raised him up. “Am I doing this right? It’s been so long…” “Si. You’re doing just fine”

Ludwig held him in the embrace and finally lowered him down to his feet again. “…Sorry”

“No, no! You were perfectly fine! But…” Feliciano fidgeted in his place for a moment, “…You told me before about how you ended up like this but…for how long?”

He looked to his hooves, his hands and finally towards the window, unsure as to how to answer. “…I was a woodsman when it happened…it seems the witch had another curse in store for me: immortality. I haven’t aged a bit. I haven’t aged unlike my family” Ludwig confessed, “…My older brother died 20 years ago. I’ve kept the body of a 25-year-old this whole time. I can’t even remember what they looked like…”

Feliciano was horrified to hear this news. He stood on his toes and hugged Ludwig again, gently stroking his cold back with his warm hands. “…Ludwig, that’s so sad! Have you ever considered leaving this place? I-it can’t be right staying here all alone” Feliciano whimpered softly against his coat. Ludwig soothingly ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

“I’m a monster. I can’t. But I’m still searching for an answer to this curse. There needs to be a way out of this hell” Ludwig murmured seriously. Feliciano continued to hold him tightly and finally pulled away.

“I’ll do whatever I can to save you, Ludwig! I won’t let you stay in this place by yourself forever!”

“Danke, Feli…” For the first time in decades, the monster gave a hopeful smile.


End file.
